Renk-Dormant transmisson

[82 MCI-9]

has anybody every delt with this trans or have heard anything about it ? I have looked on the internet and the only thing i could come up with is that it used to be used in heavy duty german military vehicles. It is a 3 speed and works pretty good but i would like to find some info on it incase i do have to work on it or change it out for a Allison. The trans is in a 86 Orion transit bus with a 6v92ta it looks like a th350 on steroids. Your help would be greatly appreciated

[TomC]

Just to consider-I've been in the trucking industry for 30 years, am a tech nut, and haven't heard of this trans.  Perhaps the bus company had their mechanics trained on that transmission and they had spares, but where are you going to get repairs on the road? Parts? I went to google and couldn't pull up anything.  Even though it seems to work well now, it'll probably ruin your vacation down the road.  Highly recommend you change to the duplicate Allison transmission.  Even if an Allison craps out, you can usually be back happily going down the road in a very few days.  How many days, weeks or even months do you think it would take to get the parts for that odd ball transmission? Let alone anyone that knows how to work on it? If you do fine someone that can work on it, would most likely have to have the bus towed there?  When I bought my bus, I wanted everything generic.  I think that's what I did with a 12v based AMGeneral transit that mostly used truck and standard bus based parts that are easily obtainable.  Just my opinion.  Good Luck, TomC

[Dallas]

The Renk transmission came standard in the Mann transit buses. I looked at a Mann a couple of years ago that was an ex Charlotte NC transit.
I also talked to the guy that did all the transmission work for the Charlotte RTA.
He told me those transmissions were just about bulletproof, and would take all the abuse the drivers could give them.
He also told me that some of them had the top gear, (5th, 6th?) locked out unless it was required for highway use.
Parts are expensive, only a few people work on them, most at RTA's. But they should be good for close to a million miles.
They've been in use in Germany and Austria for decades and have in the last 20 years moved all across Europe as one of the preferred transmissions for trasnsit/suburban use.

Just my pair of euro's worth

YMMV

Dallas

[82 MCI-9]

Thanks for the help dallas! The bus was a intercity washington transit bus and i guess when they ordered the fleet they ordered them from oroin with this trans it runs fine it had the engine, trans, and the rearend replaced 17000 miles before it was retired. I drove it from washington to california and i was getting 9 to 10 mpg its only a three speed but i will check into the extra gears. Thanks again.